USA Today recently reported about an annual MetLife Study, which highlighted that low morale is putting your valued employees at risk. According to the study, employee loyalty is at a three-year low. Yet, many employers do not have their fingers are the pulse of this potentially harmful situation. According to the study, employers believe team members are just as loyal as they were several years ago.

Ronald Leopold, vice president of MetLife's U.S. business was quoted by USA Today as saying: "Businesses are understandably focused on expenses, but they're taking their eye off the ball with human capital issues, notably what drives employee satisfaction and loyalty." The MetLife study stated that approximately one in three employees hope to find a new job within the year period. This is spurred by the combination of low morale, heavy workload, and a recovering economy. 

Losing valued employees and then having to replace them is an expensive proposition. When businesses factor in the cost of down-time, recruiting, and training associated with hiring new employees, it makes sense for employers to invest in executive coaching, management training, and workplace teambuilding that can build individual and team morale. The article concluded by stating that employees want to know that their boss and their organization care about their level of professional engagement, as well as them individually.

The short answer to the title of this narrative is: “naw.” It is shocking, almost mind-numbing to me, that the NFL and the Players Association have not penned agreeable terms that will allow for the continuance of American football. It appears that greed lies at the heart of this matter, but the communication between the two organizations has been appalling. The sound bites and media articles on the subject frame leadership (on both sides) that is focused on “wants” and “will not’s.” I do not hear anything about what they are willing to provide to their partner, nor any sincere expectations they have of each other and themselves. Now I am not attempting to oversimplify their situation. Certainly their negotiations are complicated. But when attempting to reach an accord, one must at least begin with some commonsense communication and collaboration methods. 

If we were to describe the most difficult leadership situation imaginable, it might read something like this: An enormous earthquake rocks a nation, then a nasty tsunami swamps sections of the country and cripples several nuclear reactors, and then radiation seeps into the atmosphere. Oh, and the general population, while being amazingly orderly, is in a bit of a panic. What to do, what to do? The recommended course of action for the leader would be to address the physical needs of the situation and then to communicate to the people and give them straight talk about the situation and your proposed actions. This recommended course of action, thankfully, is exactly what Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has executed. Bravo! In the face of a horrific disaster, the Japanese leadership is projecting a calm demeanor, while educating the populace about the tragedies that have occurred and the hazards and risks that lay ahead. 

My heart goes out to the Japanese people, as well as others impacted by this heart-wrenching earthquake/tsunami. My hat goes off to the intelligent, involved leaders guiding an Asian nation and its people through the fog of a tragedy.